Town employees OK'd to serve on boards in Preston

By a voice vote, taxpayers approved a new ordinance allowing municipal employees to serve on land use commissions, regardless of whether those positions are appointed or elected.

DEBORAH STRASZHEIM

Eddie Fleming has lived here all of his 52 years, he owns farmland, and he sees how the land is mapped out through his work on the town road crew.

Who better than Fleming to serve on the Planning and Zoning Commission?

A town meeting decided Thursday that he is, in fact, the kind of person who should serve. By a voice vote, taxpayers approved a new ordinance allowing municipal employees to serve on land use commissions, regardless of whether those positions are appointed or elected.

They also approved an ordinance allowing employees to serve on the Board of Finance.

Norman Gauthier wasn't so sure about that one.

"We have a lot of people in town who wear more than one hat," he said. "And that's a good thing. However, I don't believe that town employees should be on the Board of Finance setting the pay scale."

Employees would be expected to recuse themselves if they believed there was a conflict of interest.

Tom Fenton said living in a small town offers an almost automatic protection against conflict. If someone voted themselves a big raise, they'd be out, he said.

Four people serve on town boards in Preston, while also holding town jobs or receiving stipends for town work:

Gerald Grabarek, who receives a stipend as selectman and serves on the Inland Wetlands Commission.Edward Fleming, who works on the road crew and serves on the Planning and Zoning Commission.Michael House, who works as a school maintenance employee and serves on the Zoning Board of Appeals.Keith Wucik, who receives a stipend as deputy fire marshal and serves on the Board of Finance.